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Arup Cause changes lives in Nigeria
Report by Zak Kostura, Arup, November 2007 On 17 March 2006, David Singleton broadcasted a video message to Arup staff, announcing the inauguration of a new partnership between Arup and WaterAid International. This partnership was to be the cornerstone of The Arup Cause, a global drive to realize corporate social responsibility and deliver a genuine impact on the lives of people in need. That day Greg Hodkinson, the Americas Regional Chairman, emerged from a regional board meeting with a commitment to preserve and spread the firm's message of corporate social responsibility in the region, and a set of provisions that would realize that message through financial and technical support for WaterAid programs in Nigeria. Less than two years later, the achievements envisioned in that meeting are quickly becoming reality. Arup funding has proven critical in the establishment of clean water and sanitation in twelve communities in Benue State, Nigeria. Each has possession of a new waterpoint, capable of providing clean water to thousands. Committees now exist to manage the new resources and complement clean water with sanitation and hygiene programs that have collectively led to the construction of nearly 1,000 household latrines. Technical support has addressed a number of environmental factors that have in the past limited the impact of these essential provisions. Prototype assemblies and new construction approaches have been installed in these communities, where poor soil conditions and shallow groundwater cause frequent collapse of conventional pit latrines. The partnership was further strengthened with Greg's induction to the WaterAid America board of trustees. And it was in this capacity that Greg had the opportunity to accompany Patricia Dandonoli, Chief Executive Officer of WaterAid America, on a survey of the organization's program in Nigeria in November 2007. Greg and Pat were transported 150 kilometers to the southeast of Abuja - a bumpy, three hour drive - to Makurdi, where a welcome reception awaited them with WaterAid staff, local and state government officials, and members of the news media in attendance. A group of WaterAid staff and state water board representatives accompanied the American delegation on a visit to the State Commissioner on Water Resources for a formal introduction. Later, the team loaded into a small caravan of Land Rovers to visit local communities at various stages of water and sanitation program development. There is a profound contrast between communities that live with clean water and sanitation and those that do not. The American delegation was brought first to Etu-Ochodu, a community in Benue where water and sanitation resources are currently in place. They toured the water points (one of which was constructed last year with Arup funds) and received a demonstration of the pump's functionality from the locals. They surveyed sanitation facilities, including some that had collapsed because of shallow groundwater and poor soil conditions, and inspected a prototype assembly of the new bamboo pit lining that is gaining popularity in communities around the state. A follow-up visit to the nearby village of Obi-Ijegwu provided a contrasting perspective of conditions that exist before intervention. The Land Rovers approached a broad forest grove at the edge of the community beneath the sinking afternoon sun.
Nearly 300 people awaited us, seated in a loose semicircle of plastic chairs and wooden logs. We were brought to a line of empty seats in the shade of a small tree, and we sat as the village elders greeted us and members of the community brought gifts of bananas, gran nuts and soft drinks. There were no physical systems there to survey, no handpumps for the locals to demonstrate. They are still drawing their water from stagnant pools, which with each passing day continue to vanish as the seasonal rains yield to the empty skies of the dry months. But for lack of what could be seen in the community, much could be felt. The gifts and greetings illustrated a profound enthusiasm for the improvements their village was about to face. Insight and exposure from the day's visit were translated into an address to the Governor of Benue State, with whom the delegation met on Wednesday morning to discuss water and sanitation issues. Greg delivered a strongly worded speech, which praised the Governor for affirming water and sanitation as his priorities, and challenged him to ensure that intermittent funding channels for local agencies are rectified. The Governor's response was largely positive, and his commitment to build one million latrines in Benue State by 2015 was noted by members of the media pool. The message will be conveyed to the public as part of the widespread sanitation campaign that will culminate on World Toilet Day on 19 November. The American delegation left Benue with a renewed sense of what our collective resources can achieve, and how many people we can impact. While leaving the sunlit grove of Obi Ijegwu, flanked on all sides by villagers of all ages, Greg was apt to comment, "It's a humbling experience to be greeted by so many who need so little." Zak Kostura, author of this report, is an Arup engineer currently being funded by his company to work with WaterAid Nigeria to improve the sustainability of water and sanitation interventions. Read about Zak's work in Nigeria.
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